Jose Mourinho Refuses to Rule out Managing Another English Team After Chelsea | Bleacher Report Jose Mourinho Refuses to Rule out Managing Another English Team After Chelsea By Nick Akerman , Featured Columnist Sep 30, 2014 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories Clive Rose/Getty Images 23 Comments Jose Mourinho has suggested he may be willing to join another Premier League club after his second spell with Chelsea is complete, even though his "priority will always be" the Stamford Bridge club. The Portuguese manager spoke ahead of his side's Champions League trip to face Sporting Lisbon. Questions toward Mourinho's potential future jobs are not uncommon, particularly when he's back in his home nation. He answered honestly when asked if he would join another English team, reported Martin Lipton of the Daily Mirror: If it had to be, yes. My priority will always be Chelsea and I never think about the interest of others. But I know football and know I won’t be here five, eight, ten years if I don’t manage to win. Of course not. That’s not my essence as a coach, because I don’t like to live in those comfort zones. It doesn’t fit my personality.

Mike Hewitt/Getty Images Mourinho added, "I will only leave when [Chelsea] want me to leave. There's no other country, club or investment that motivates me. I will only leave when Mr Abramovich calls me to tell me it's over." He also went on to say "we'll see" whether an English outfit comes calling at this point, a storyline that could fray his relationship with the Blues. Currently in his second spell with the club, Mourinho won two Premier League titles, two League Cup titles, the FA Cup and Community Shield during his initial tenure between 2004-2007. He is yet to increase his silverware collection, having returned last year, but his Chelsea side are currently three points clear at the top of the English division with five wins and one draw from six games. Only one other English side has looked capable of luring the former Real Madrid man, and that's Manchester United . Rumours went into overdrive once Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, placing Mourinho as one of the favourites alongside David Moyes. While Moyes eventually got the job, United fans may be wondering if things would have gone so badly if Mourinho took over the Old Trafford hot seat.

Alex Livesey/Getty Images 9.3% Total votes: 2,346 Spanish journalist Diego Torres , reporting via The Guardian, suggested Mourinho was heard to "sob loudly" when he found out he wasn't to succeed British football's most successful manager. The Telegraph's Jason Burt reported Sir Bobby Charlton called Mourinho " a really good coach " but stated "a United manager would not" attempt to poke former Barcelona manager Tito Vilanova in the eye. Mourinho would be unlikely to receive one of the other top English jobs. His relationship with Arsenal remains sour after he labelled Arsene Wenger " a specialist in failure ," reports The Guardian, while his continued war of words with Manuel Pellegrini ensures a stint at Manchester City is unlikely. During his first spell with Chelsea, Mourinho also endured a difficult relationship with then- Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez, creating animosity between him and the Merseyside club. Perhaps Tottenham could be a viable choice, as the north London side generally have a decent budget to work with and have everything in place to be successful. Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Mourinho's association with Chelsea makes the prospect of him managing another English club difficult to acknowledge.

It will be interesting to see how his mindset develops alongside his current reign. If things go badly at Chelsea and he is mistreated, the decision to join another Premier League side may become a whole lot easier. A revenge mission could certainly fuel Mourinho into accepting a rival post. He is well-placed to take over the Portuguese national team at some point, a position he would like "to end" his career, reported by Yahoo Eurosport . Of course, when discussing further jobs in England, the Three Lions national team is also a post Mourinho has failed to rule out in the past. Either international job would offer an extremely tough examination of his management skills, as both nations have failed to live up to their potential in recent years. Alex Livesey/Getty Images Mourinho is a smart one-to-one worker, someone who can get the best out of players by handing them responsibility. Perhaps his latest interview is hinting that, if given the opportunity, he would be willing to whip the English into shape before returning home. He is destined for a long and successful second spell at Chelsea, but if things don't go to plan, Mourinho's presence in England may continue.

José Mourinho declares himself 'the happy one' after his Chelsea return | Football | The Guardian José Mourinho declares himself 'the happy one' after his Chelsea return • Mourinho claims he is coming back to club a calmer man • Manager insists he was not sacked the first time around Monday 10 June 2013 09.28 EDT First published on Monday 10 June 2013 09.28 EDT Close This article is 3 years old Returning to Chelsea José Mourinho insisted he is no longer "a special one" but a humble one, vowing to introduce a stability that has been lacking for both the Portuguese and the club since he first departed six years ago. "I am the happy one. Time flies. It feels like it was a couple of days ago but it was nine years ago [when I first arrived]. Since then, a lot of things have happened in my professional life. I have the same nature, I am the same person, I have the same heart and I have the same emotions relating to my passion and my job, but I am a different person," said Mourinho, who leaves his previous role at Real Madrid with claims that he "damaged" Spanish football ringing in his ears.

In contrast to his first arrival, Mourinho went out of his way to avoid discord or disharmony, endlessly repeating that he is "very calm" and "very relaxed". Mourinho first arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2004 sweeping into the club and declaring he was "a special one", winning Chelsea's first title in 50 years and retaining it the following year. He won five major trophies in three years before parting with the owner Roman Abramovich. He said on Monday that at the age of 50 he is better able to manage his emotions and ready to commit himself to building a dynasty at a club who have churned through 10 managers in a decade since Abramovich bought the club in 2003. "We are ready to work together again. We have much better conditions to succeed and deliver what this club wants, which is stability," said Mourinho. "Now I am prepared for that. Before I wasn't. Today is June 10, Portuguese Day.

I always loved adventure in the past, I was always a bit of an explorer." The Portuguese, who has won league titles in Italy and Spain since leaving England, said that he plans to stay until the "last day" of his four-year contract and beyond, and has learned from his experiences around Europe. "Sometimes people talk about older people in a negative way. Experience in life is something very important, particularly if you use it in the right way. I analyse myself every day as a manager, as a leader, as a member of a club," he said. "Nine years is a big difference. When I arrived here in 2004, you pushed me a lot to have a stronger approach. You know me, you know my history in the British game and the European game. I just want to be calm. To give my best every day." Mourinho claimed that there is no need to repair his relationship with the club's Russian owner and that they had parted by mutual consent, despite the swirl of furious discord that surrounded it.

"Of course it was a sad moment, but I don't regret that decision because I went to Inter where I had probably the best moment of my career and after that I went to Madrid where we had the record of the best team in Spanish history," he said. "For Chelsea , things went well too. It was a decision that was difficult for both of us but it was a decision that was made by mutual agreement. It wouldn't be possible to be here today if we had real problems." More than 200 journalists and camera crews, including many from overseas, packed into a suite in Stamford Bridge's West Stand where six months earlier Rafael Benítez had been presented in a fractious press conference. The former Porto, Inter and Real Madrid manager claimed that he did not regret missing out on the Manchester United or Manchester City vacancies. "I am where I want to be. I wouldn't change it for anything. It's my job and the job I want. It is the job I was offered and I accepted immediately," he said. Mourinho bristled only slightly when asked by Andrés Iniesta's claim that he had damaged Spanish football during his fractious spell at Madrid.

Mourinho said it was a comment motivated by his success in ending Barcelona's dominance: "I damaged Spanish football by being the man that broke Barcelona's dominance. It looked like a dominance without end – Real Madrid won the cup final against Barcelona, the Super Cup against Barcelona, we won in Barcelona and won the historical championship of 100 points and 121 goals. I hurt them." He said he would meet with the Chelsea captain John Terry, sidelined by Benítez due to loss of form and injury, next month. "The future is to meet John on July 1st. I know what he can give, let's try and get the best and let's try and make him again a very important player that he couldn't be last season." But he warned that those players who remain at the club from his first spell, including Terry and Frank Lampard, could expect no special favours. "There are still a few boys from my time. It's always good to go back and see people who gave everything to me when I was here. They know me and there will be no privilege for them. They know my nature as a manager. They don't have an advantage," he said.

"I think Chelsea did very well to get these young boys with great potential. I will be more than happy to work with them. A club like us always has the ambition to add a couple of players to improve the squad." Mourinho has already been linked with a host of signings but said his first task would be to meet with the existing players. "My first job is not to say I need money with a lot of zeros and say I need to change the team. In the past three days, the media has linked us with 20 new players. I need to be fair with the existing players. A couple of new signings is normal but the main objective is to know what we have." Only when asked about his weaknesses as a coach, did a flash of the old Mourinho return: "My weaknesses? Not many. But I try to improve. And hide [them]." Jose Mourinho appointed as Chelsea's new manager Jose Mourinho appointed as Chelsea's new manager Jose Mourinho is officially returning to Chelsea as the London club's new manager. Post to Facebook Jose Mourinho appointed as Chelsea's new manager Jose Mourinho is officially returning to Chelsea as the London club's new manager.

Check out this story on USATODAY.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. 13 To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs Jose Mourinho appointed as Chelsea's new manager AP Published 8:09 a.m. ET June 3, 2013 | Updated 2:28 p.m. ET June 3, 2013 Jose Mourinho was Chelsea's manager from 2004 to 2007, winning the Premier League twice. (Photo: Andres Kudacki) Mourinho spent the last three seasons as Real Madrid's manager He won two Premier League titles during his time with Chelsea from 2004 to 2007 Mourinho has won two Champions League titles, one with Porto and one with Inter LONDON (AP) — When Jose Mourinho left Chelsea in 2007 after falling out with owner Roman Abramovich, it appeared the divorce was final.

The Special One returned to Stamford Bridge on Monday, 5 1-2 years after his departure, to the delight of Blues fans "I had to prepare myself not to be too emotional on my arrival at the club, but obviously I am very happy," Mourinho told Chelsea TV. "It was an easy decision. I met the boss, I met the owner, and in five minutes after a couple of very short but pragmatic questions, we decided straight away. I asked the boss: 'Do you want me back?' And the boss asked me: 'Do you want to come back?' And in a couple of minutes, the decision was made." The 50-year-old Portuguese coach was given a four-year contract as Chelsea manager, nine years and one day after he first was hired by the club. It was on that first day at Chelsea in 2004 that Mourinho declared himself a "Special One," a nickname that stuck. Mourinho's relationship with Abramovich has improved over the years, and the unpredictable manager said their divorce back in 2007 benefited both him and the club. "It was a difficult moment because I love it here and have a big connection with the club.

Also for the club, my departure, it was not easy," Mourinho said. "But if you analyze it in a cool way and you leave emotions a bit apart, I think it was fantastic. Because after that I had in my career what I was aiming for, and Chelsea as a football club got important trophies after that, with important moments in the history of the club. Now we are back together, and it is a great moment for both, so I think we are ready to marry again and to be happy and successful again." Madrid released the charismatic and fiery coach from his contract, so Abramovich will not have to pay compensation. "I never hide that in my career in football I had two great passions, Inter and Chelsea, and Chelsea is more than important for me," Mourinho said. "It was very hard to play against Chelsea. I did it twice, which was not so bad. Now I promise exactly the same things I promised in 2004." There had been seven managers at Chelsea since Mourinho left. He led Chelsea to its first league title in 50 years in 2005 and followed up with another in 2006, and won one FA Cup and two league Cups.

But he fell short of giving Abramovich a Champions League trophy, which finally was won with Roberto Di Matteo as coach in 2012. "His continued success, drive and ambition made him the outstanding candidate," Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay said. "It is our aim to keep the club moving forward to achieve greater success in the future, and Jose is our No. 1 choice as we believe he is the right manager to do just that." Chelsea finished third in the Premier League this season and was eliminated in the group stage of the Champions League after winning the title in 2012. Rafa Benitez, hired in November as interim manager after Di Matteo was fired, was repeatedly jeered by Chelsea fans, who distrusted him following his six-year stretch with Liverpool. Benitez led Chelsea to the title of the Europa League, the continent's second-tier tournament, and was hired last week to coach Napoli. After leading Porto to the 2004 Champions League title, Mourinho became a popular and divisive figure when he arrived at Chelsea. "I'm sorry I'm a bit arrogant, but we have a top manager," he said at his initial news conference. "I am the European champion.

I think I am a special one." After leaving Chelsea, Mourinho went on to coach Inter Milan, winning two Serie A titles, the Italian Cup and the 2010 Champions League. With Madrid, he won the 2011 Copa del Rey and 2012 Spanish league title. He became unpopular with segments of the Madrid fan base this year, when he dropped goalkeeper Iker Casillas, captain of Madrid and of the world and European champion Spanish national team. Chelsea said Mourinho is bringing along three members of his coaching staff, Rui Faria, Silvino Louro and Jose Morais, and each will be given the title assistant first team coach. There was no word whether Aitor Karanka, his assistant manager at Madrid, will follow him to Chelsea. Mourinho was an unsuccessful player in the 1980s, and his big break in management came when he was hired as an interpreter for English coach Bobby Robson at Portugal's Sporting Lisbon. Robson took Mourinho with him to Porto and his influence increased as he took on coaching responsibilities.

The duo moved to Barcelona for the 1996-97 season, and Mourinho remained at the club under Louis van Gaal following the Robson's departure. Mourinho returned to Portugal but failed to win any titles during stints as a senior coach at Uniao Leiria and Benfica. That changed in his first full season at Benfica's rival, Porto, where he won the league, Portuguese Cup and UEFA Cup in 2003. Chelsea said Mourinho will hold a news conference June 10 at Stamford Bridge. 71 CONNECT TWEET LINKEDIN 13 COMMENTEMAILMORE Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. NEVER MISS OUT Sports Stay in the know and in the zone, 7 days a week, with scores, analysis, and in-depth features and commentary.

Jose Mourinho: Chelsea boss will not walk away from club - BBC Sport BBC Sport Jose Mourinho: Chelsea boss will not walk away from club 22 May 2015 Media playback is not supported on this device Jose Mourinho: The extended interview Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho says he would not choose to leave the Premier League champions but is prepared to manage another English club. Mourinho, 52, began his second spell in charge at Stamford Bridge in 2013. His first stint, from 2004-2007, ended after his relationship with owner Roman Abramovich became strained. "I see myself coaching another club, yes, but I love Chelsea and I am in Mr Abramovich's hands and until then I am here," Mourinho told Football Focus. "The day Mr Abramovich thinks I am not good enough for Chelsea, I want to work, and if possible in England too." In September 2007, the former Porto boss left English football after Chelsea suffered an indifferent start to the season.

Jose Mourinho was Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's first managerial appointment in 2004 He went on to manage Italian side Inter Milan where he won the league, cup and Champions League treble, before joining Real Madrid, capturing the La Liga title and domestic cup in his three-year spell in the Spanish capital. After returning to Chelsea, the Portuguese boss - who has been named manager of the season - led the club to their fourth Premier League title this season - a third under him - as well as winning the League Cup. "Until Mr Abramovich says, I don't see myself going," added Mourinho. "Any club comes to me now and offers me a fantastic project, offers me twice my wages in the contract at Chelsea, no chance." He also told Football Focus that periods of "clear domination" enjoyed by Manchester United and his previous Chelsea side are no longer possible. You can watch the full Jose Mourinho interview on Football Focus on BBC One at 12:10 BST on Saturday.

Share this page Jose Mourinho sacked by Chelsea and Guus Hiddink will take over as caretaker manager - Telegraph Jose Mourinho sacked by Chelsea and Guus Hiddink will take over as caretaker manager Chelsea confirm Jose Mourinho's second spell at the club has come to an end Follow Summary of today's events Jose Mourinho was sacked as Chelsea manager on Thursday afternoon after a dreadful run of results which has left his side stranded in 16th place in the Premier League table. Chelsea will now look to Guus Hiddink, as reported by Telegraph Sport on Wednesday , to replace the manager on a short-term basis. 22:05 The rift that couldn't be healed Jason Burt, Sam Wallace and Matt Law have combined to bring you our final take on today's proceedings. There has been no holding back by Chelsea. It's all Jose Mourinho's fault apparently. You can read all the gory details by clicking on this link and here is a taster to whet the appetite. Chelsea have revealed that Jose Mourinho was sacked on Thursday because of a rift with the players. The club are now set to name Guus Hiddink as caretaker manager.

In an extraordinarily frank ­interview, Michael Emenalo, the Chelsea technical director, pinned the blame for the club’s dramatic collapse this season firmly on ­Mourinho because of what he termed “palpable discord”. Emenalo said Chelsea were “in trouble” but rejected suggestions that the players had let the club down. In the interview, on Chelsea TV, Emenalo referred to Mourinho as “the individual who has done so much for the club”, but did not name him. He also stated that it was unacceptable for a club of Chelsea’s stature to be just a point above the Premier League relegation zone. Emenalo’s stance is understandable – although his words were stronger than expected – given that the new manager has to work with this squad, who, he said, had “played to instruction” in winning the league last season with “blood and sweat”. Chelsea have made it clear that there were real problems between Jose Mourinho and his players 21:40 Guus can save uus Our Chief Football Correspondent Jason Burt reckons Guus Hiddink is the man to turn Chelsea's season around . Do you agree? Here is a snippet of his piece, which you can find by clicking on the link above.

Hiddink is renowned for his man-management skills rather than any tactical genius and it is those skills that Chelsea will feel is needed with a squad who appear devoid of confidence and unhappy. Hiddink will undoubtedly lift the mood and relieve the pressure and deal with players on an individual basis. He was hugely popular at Chelsea first time round. The fans sang for him to stay, they chanted for Abramovich to “sign him up” and a succession of players, led by Terry, also tried to persuade him to remain at the club. He certainly has the personality, ego and ability to succeed again. Whether he has the energy and the drive remains to be seen. When asked by the Dutch publication Voetbal International, in October whether he might be interested in a return to Chelsea, Hiddink said: “Top-class football is always attractive. I’ve had some offers come my way recently, but there were no jobs I wanted to get in to right away. We’ll see, we just have to wait now.” It does not seem that he had to wait that long after all. 21:20 Merry Christmas Light at the end of the tunnel? What on earth can make these men happy again?

Chelsea's season has gone from bad to worse Sam Wallace has come up with his list of things that need to change at Stamford Bridge including poor performances, player disharmony, public perception and a new manager. Chelsea are 16th in the table and one place above the relegation zone. While all the handwringing has been about the Champions League places, at some point they will have to win some games to move away from the bottom three. The players are good enough to do it and the usual bounce of a managerial sacking should be enough for Guus Hiddink to get the team on the right track. In the long-term, the club will have to plan for next season without the Champions League and the attendant effect on player recruitment. It was the same problem that Manchester United faced post-David Moyes and it was a long slog back to the top four. 20:15 Disharmony in the ranks Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo has just been speaking to Chelsea TV and his words don't paint the prettiest of pictures of life at the club. "The facts of the matter remain that Chelsea Football Club is in trouble. The results are not good.

There obviously seems to be a palpable discord between manager and players. We feel it was time to act. "The owner is forced to make what was a very tough decision for the good of the club. "Make no mistake about it, Chelsea Football Club, one of the biggest clubs in the world, is one point above relegation in the English Premier League. And that's not good enough. "Anybody, any fan, who loves the club or has any affiliation with the club can understand this club is in trouble. Something needed to be done." What next for Jose? Jose Mourinho's next move is uncertain 18:32 A sad farewell Pictures are emerging of a man, who looks an awful lot like Jose Mourinho and is believed to be Jose Mourinho, leading Chelsea's Cobham training ground earlier today. Hiding out: Kevin Campello was mistakenly identified as Jose Mourinho after the Chelsea manager was sacked on Thursday Redknapp reacts Former Liverpool and England midfielder Jamie Redknapp said on Sky Sports News: "I wasn't that surprised. "After Monday's result when words like 'betrayal' were used, unfortunately you felt like there was going to be an ending where the manager has to leave.

You can't get rid of players obviously because they have long contracts. "It's always light and shade with Jose but it just feels this year there's been a lot more shade. "It's unprecedented what's happened to Chelsea after winning the title seven months ago. "A lot of players who have fallen out with him will be pleased to see the back of him. "This is a wonderful opportunity for someone coming in because make no mistake whoever comes in, that club is going to fly now. They're going to win a lot of games and in a way prove it's not just about Jose Mourinho. .Porto manager Jose Mourinho jumps in the air as he celebrates beating Manchester United in their Champions League first knockout round, second leg soccer match at Old Trafford, Manchester, March 9, 2004. The match ended 1-1 on the night with FC Porto knocking Manchester United out 3-2 on aggregate. REUTERS/Ian Hodgson Photo: REUTERS/Ian Hodgson "I think he needs a break from the game. He's looked very stressed this season and has pretty much had fights with everyone. That can't be healthy for him. "A lot is going to be said about Jose Mourinho but he's been fantastic for our league.

He's a brilliant manager and is obviously very talented but every now and again he has these moments when he really finds it hard that players aren't performing to the level he wants and it always seems to be the same outcome - him leaving the club. "Someone will be thinking that Mourinho is the manager to win them trophies." 18:12 Breaking... Black Cats next Looking ahead, Chelsea host Sunderland on Saturday. Allardyce and his team will be gutted Mourinho was sacked. Jose on giving his all More Jose from tonight's BT interview: "I give everything I have, sometimes maybe too much, sometimes maybe too emotional but I do that with every club so for me I did that with everyone but the only one where I wear the shirt twice was Chelsea because I was in the club where I was, I left and I came back so I would say Chelsea but I have also to confess that Inter was really special and Porto was my beginning and I can’t forget that and a giant like Real Madrid is also an honour to manage." Jose Mourinho was speaking ahead of his appearance on the new series of The Clare Balding Show.

To see the full interview watch BT Sport 1 from 8.00pm tonight or on BBC Two at 10.00pm tomorrow. Mourinho 17:39 Political bantz "The PM's always sad to see anyone lose their job, but there are over 740,000 vacancies in the jobs market." Number 10 responds to the sacking of Jose Mourinho as Chelsea manager with jobs quip. David Cameron Photo: REUTERS 17:30 Twitter reacts A big event wouldn't be complete without a 'Twitter reacts' piece. And here it is , including GIFs and stuff. McIlroy plea To be honest, Rory couldn't be worse than Ed Woodward at bringing people to United. Jose, I take it all back.... We'd welcome you with open arms at Man Utd!!! pic.twitter.com/VgTkaZukyZ 17:10 In defence of Jose Most of the fans being interviewed on Sky Sports are defending Mourinho, and either blaming the players for a perceived lack of effort or bemoaning the club's 'hire and fire' culture.

Hard times: Jose Mourinho has presided over a shocking slump at Chelsea this season 17:05 Cesc says thanks Fabregas, who's copped a lot of flak this season, has uploaded the below picture to Instagram with the caption: Thank you for all you have done for me. I owe you a lot and we will all miss you. Good luck in the future and i know you will be back soon. I don't think it's pronounced Mourino I'm really curious to know how this man has taken the news. Ways of working In that BT interview, Jose has also explained how he likes to work. "I think they need to like to work with me, I think they need to understand that I am the best manager they can work with, I think that is very, very important. Like me, don’t like me, the person, the man, big friends, that’s a supplement but I think it’s fundamental that the manager is somebody the players can look at and know that he’s good. "I always establish the impossible target and I tell them this is the impossible target but the target is to win every match. They know that is impossible and this season is proving that is really impossible!

But I think it’s the target, you have to go to every match, it doesn’t matter which competition it is and you want to win and you feel that you can win, I think that’s the important thing." 16:44 Pride comes before a fall Mourinho's appearance on the Clare Balding show airs tonight, during which he says that this year he's learned that he's better than he thought. Jose Mourinho was speaking ahead of his appearance on the new series of The Clare Balding Show. To see the full interview watch BT Sport 1 from 8.00pm tonight or on BBC Two at 10.00pm tomorrow. 16:41 Missing men Sam Wallace has put together an XI of players Mourinho has got rid of. Would keeping some of these have saved his job? KDB looks like the biggest loss, but Lukaku as well would surely have been better than any of Demba Ba, Fernando Torres, Loic Remy or a geriatric Didier Drogba. And certainly better than this season's deranged version of Diego Costa. Petr Cech - Arsenal A sale that Mourinho publicly opposed, although it was him who replaced Cech with Courtois.

He said he understood the reasons for Roman Abramovich’s decision, given Cech’s length of service, but would not have sanctioned it himself. “There are not many clubs in the world big enough to make that decision.” -- Ryan Bertrand – Southampton A left-back who came through the academy after being signed from Gillingham, aged 16. He could not displace Ashley Cole and left for Southampton, originally on loan. In the PFA team of the season last year and, given the injury problems to Luke Shaw and Leighton Baines, arguably England’s current No 1 choice. David Luiz – Paris Saint-Germain A big character in the pre-Mourinho Chelsea dressing room. Initially Mourinho was scornful of Benitez’s decision to play him in midfield although later did the same. Attracted such a good price that the decision was made to sell. Came back to haunt Chelsea in the Champions League last season and will hope to do the same again next year.

Alex Teixeira does battle with former Chelsea player David Luiz Photo: AP Jeffrey Bruma – PSV Eindhoven He left Chelsea two weeks after Mourinho returned in June 2013 having failed to make the first team breakthrough despite two loan spells at Hamburg and another earlier in his career at Leicester. Now a regular in the PSV Eindhoven team, featuring twice against Manchester United in the Champions League, and a Holland international. Filipe Luis – Atletico Madrid Spent just one season at Chelsea and failed to take the left-back spot from the converted right-back Cesar Azpilicueta. Was sold back to Atletico for around the same pnds15.8m price that was paid for him and, in Spain, has since been reborn. Played for Brazil at the Copa America last summer and now competition for Real Madrid’s Marcelo in that position. -- Oriol Romeu – Southampton A holding midfielder who spent the two seasons of Mourinho’s second spell at Chelsea on loan at Valencia and then Stuttgart, following a bad knee injury in the 2012-2013 season. Joined Southampton in the summer. Not a regular but has started six league games this season.

-- Kevin De Bruyne – Manchester City The second-most expensive British transfer of all time when he came back to the Premier League to Manchester City in the summer. Mourinho lost faith in him early in his first season back at Chelsea. At Wolfsburg last season, De Bruyne was the Bundesliga player of the season despite the galaxy of stars at champions Bayern Munich. Now a City regular. Juan Mata – Manchester United Another major boost to the FFP-clean funds when he was sold to David Moyes’ United in January 2014 for pnds37m. Louis Van Gaal might have his problems at United but Mata starts just about every game and, at Chelsea, would surely have given Mourinho a different option in these troubled times. Twice Chelsea’s player of the season before he left. Mohamed Salah – Roma One of the true enigmas of the Mourinho years. Signed in January 2014 for pnds11m from Basel, Mourinho started him ten times before he was sent on loan to Fiorentina the following January. Promptly scored six in his first seven games and moved on to a second loan at Roma last summer which subsequently became a permanent deal. Has scored six goals already and is a regular.

-- Andre Schurrle – Wolfsburg The World Cup-winning Germany international played as a central striker against Manchester United in the Champions League this month. Mourinho tried that in the early days but seemed to decide that the winger did not follow instructions and sold him in January. Turning up at the Arsenal Christmas party two years ago did not help. Romelu Lukaku – Everton A major long-term Chelsea project, Lukaku was signed, aged 18, from Anderlecht in 2011 in the hope that one day he would take the place of Didier Drogba. Was eventually sold to Everton for pnds28m last summer when Diego Costa arrived. Currently the Premier League’s second-highest goalscorer with 12. Costa has three. Romelu Lukaku has been in great form for Everton this season Substitute: Juan Cuadrado, now with Juventus on loan after five months at Chelsea following a pnds24m move from Fiorentina. Never seemed to have the trust of his manager.

One he was right about: Ashley Cole – Roma Has not played since March and now seems likely to come back to England with struggling Aston Villa, if he can be persuaded to leave his life in Italy for the West Midlands. Mourinho’s decision to freeze him out in the second half of the 2013-2014 season contributed to Cole’s omission from the World Cup squad. Hiddink confirmed Chief Football Writer Sam Wallace says Hiddink taking the manager's job temporarily is a done deal. The Dutch coach Guus Hiddink will take over from Jose Mourinho at Chelsea in his second spell as caretaker manager of the club until the end of the season. Hiddink, 69, has been given the temporary job by the Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and his technical director Michael Emenalo after Mourinho was told his time was up this afternoon. He will meet the Chelsea players tomorrow morning and take training ahead of Saturday’s game against Sunderland at Stamford Bridge. Since the defeat to Leicester City on Monday, the club have been exploring possibilities to replace Mourinho.

They did not want to appoint an interim manager again, having had to sack three managers in mid-season since 2009, but were left with no options given the available candidates. Hiddink won an FA Cup with Chelsea in 2009 when he combined the role with the Russia manager’s job. He replaced Luiz Felipe Scolari on that occasion and impressed Chelsea by steering the club into the Champions League places and winning a trophy. He proved popular among the players and there was thought given to appointing him permanently but his position with Russia made that impossible. He returns to Chelsea having been sacked from his last job as the Holland team coach towards the end of their failed Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. His record since leaving Chelsea has been mixed with Russia failing to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals. He was coach of the Turkey team that did not qualify for Euro 2014 and had a brief spell in charge of Anzhi Makhachkala. He takes over a team 16th in the table, a far worse position than the one he inherited from Scolari almost six years ago. However, he does have the opportunity to take the team on in the Champions League.

Once again, there is the chance he could land the job on a permanent basis although the preferred candidates are Pep Guardiola and Diego Simeone. The full story - Hiddink most likely caretaker This just in from our Chief Football Correspondent Jason Burt. Jose Mourinho has been sacked as Chelsea manager. Just seven months after winning the Premier League titles and five months after agreeing a new four-year contract Mourinho was informed after taking training today that he was fired after presiding over an incredible collapse in Chelsea’s results. Chelsea are now expected to install a caretaker manager until the end of the season with Guus Hiddink the most likely candidate. Guus Hiddink is a contender to reprise his Chelsea caretaker role from 2009 Mourinho has been clinging to his job for several weeks but Roman Abramovich has decided that he was unable to turn the team’s fortunes around after nine league defeats already this season. Mourinho has struggled to cope with the situation and his reactions to the results has played a major part in the decision. Abramovich had tried to give Mourinho as much time as possible but his patience snapped after the 2-1 defeat away to Leicester City on Monday evening.

Jose Mourinho Photo: ActionImage Hiddink has been Chelsea caretaker in the past and has a good relationship with Abramovich and would be willing to take the role again on a short-term basis. Mourinho will not be paid up his contract in full – an amount that would be more than £30million – but will be paid month by month until he finds a new job and then will receive a lump sum. The 52-year-old Portuguese leaves Chelsea just a point above the relegation zone and 20 points behind league leaders Leicester although they are in the last 16 of the Champions League. His backroom staff – including key allies Rui Faria and Silvino Louro – will depart with Mourinho. Mourinho’s demise has been extraordinary at Chelsea who he rejoined two years ago after being sacked in 2007. There has been a catalogue of dramas since he came. 14:57 A couple of Jose stats 9 - Jose Mourinho has lost nine league games this season, more than in any previous campaign at any club he has managed. Extinguished. Who's next?

Hiddink has been suggested as the short-term replacement, with Diego Simeone the main target in the summer. Here's a look at who Chelsea could bring in... 14:51 An unhappy Christmas for Jose.... He had said on Clare Balding's show that all he wanted was a win to make him happy: 14:47 No official word yet Chelsea's official channels are silent thus far, but all indications are that Mourinho has lost his job after a miserable start to the season which makes relegation a more likely possibility than Champions League qualification. Just how bad has it been? This bad: Jose Mourinho is sacked It's happened. Reports are strongly suggesting that Jose Mourinhho has been dismissed. More as soon as we get it, but in the meantime here's Sam Wallace on why he can have no complaints: At the end of the drive up to Chelsea’s Cobham training ground is a big house surrounded by trees which is one more residence that belongs to the owner Roman Abramovich and it has long been a source of curiosity whether – should it come to that - a condemned manager would be obliged to make the long walk down to see his boss, or vice versa.

Either way, whether it is Abramovich who delivers the final farewell to Mourinho, or the technical director Michael Emenalo, or the director Marina Granovskaia, no-one could argue that he does not deserve it by now . The league title and the Capital One Cup last season promised a second coming that was to be more permanent, less volatile, but in fact the decline this time has been ten times more spectacular than when Mourinho left first time. Jose Mourinho implores his side to do more at the King Power As a man who has lived in the raw edge of results at five of the biggest clubs in Europe, Mourinho knows that he deserves the sack for Chelsea’s disintegrating title defence, the question now is whether the club are prepared to pay up the four-year contract they awarded him in August.

José Mourinho v Sir Alex Ferguson: how to leave a club in good shape | Football | The Guardian Sportblog José Mourinho v Sir Alex Ferguson: how to leave a club in good shape Chelsea did not fall apart when José Mourinho left in 2007 but Manchester United have crumbled since Sir Alex Ferguson departed 20 months ago Chelsea kept performing well after José Mourinho left in 2007 but Manchester United have struggled after Sir Alex Ferguson retired. Photograph: Chung Sung-Jun/Christopher Lee/Getty Images Sportblog José Mourinho v Sir Alex Ferguson: how to leave a club in good shape Chelsea did not fall apart when José Mourinho left in 2007 but Manchester United have crumbled since Sir Alex Ferguson departed 20 months ago Wednesday 11 March 2015 08.56 EDT Last modified on Monday 4 April 2016 09.34 EDT Share on Messenger Close Roy Keane, appearing as a BBC pundit as Manchester United made an FA Cup exit at the hands of Arsenal , had the following to say about the future of his old club.

“Louis van Gaal is going to get criticised, you’d expect that, but he’s only been in the door two minutes. Give the man a chance – two or three years. They should have given David Moyes more time but didn’t. What are they going to do, chop and change again? It’s literally a rebuilding job. United not finishing in the top four would be a disaster.” That seems sensible enough. Fair and calmly reasoned even, all the things one would not normally associate with a Keane reaction. But if United are “literally a rebuilding job”, why exactly is that when they have had 20 years at the top of English football? How can a winning machine that has brought in so much success, money, talent and worldwide acclaim for so long fall to pieces merely through a change of manager? Granted, Sir Alex Ferguson was never going to be easy to replace. In a quarter of a century at Old Trafford he stamped his personality on the club and made sure he knew about just about everything that was going on.

But he left the team as champions, the scouting set up and youth teams were in good working order, a new training facility at Carrington was fully on stream and though Moyes never saw all that much of a transfer kitty it turns out there was £150m in the bank to spend on new players. In his single season at the helm Moyes did not dismantle Ferguson’s old team, nor did he demoralise them, if anything the opposite seems to have been the case. So as United are shopping at the very top end of the managerial market, why could a new boss not come in and carry on pretty much as before? Why is it suddenly a two- or three-year rebuilding project? Anyone tempted to suggest that carrying on pretty much as before is glib and unrealistic, easier said than done, is advised to study Chelsea’s recent history. Did Chelsea fall apart when José Mourinho left in 2007? No.

Despite employing seven subsequent managers in as many years – two of them Avram Grant and André Villas-Boas – Chelsea carried on pretty much as before to the tune of becoming the first London club to win the European Cup, following it up with the Europa League, and won the Premier League in 2010. Only once in the seven-year interregnum between Mourinho’s first and second spells at the club did Chelsea finish outside the top three, and that was the year they won the Champions League under Roberto Di Matteo. The core of Mourinho’s first winning side survived until his return, and perhaps more importantly so did the team’s ethos. Chelsea managed to look like a Mourinho team all the time the manager was away – apart from the odd blip when losing to Sunderland or Wigan – and now he is back they are top of the Premier League table and looking set for another title. So the question has to be, how did Mourinho manage to put in such strong foundations in a little over three seasons at Stamford Bridge when Ferguson was in charge for more than two decades and now the edifice is crumbling? One accepts that the parallel is not exact.

Chelsea were already an accomplished team when Mourinho took over and significant money was available for instant upgrades, whereas United were underperforming badly in 1986 and it took Ferguson several years and quite a bit of lost sleep to sort them out. Yet even if one dates the modern United from their treble win of 1999, that is still 14 years at the top under Ferguson, a full decade longer than Mourinho got at Chelsea first time round. If the answer to the above question is that Mourinho is some sort of genius, and you never know it might be, then United must be prepared to be reminded over and over again that they could have approached the then Real Madrid manager as a direct replacement for Ferguson. Mourinho was available, and he was interested. United were not, for reasons that do not look any more convincing with the passage of time. Mourinho, it was said, was too full of himself and would divert publicity from the team and the club. A bit like Van Gaal then. Chelsea played boring, defensive football, and the United crowds would never put up with it. Again, see Van Gaal.

Mourinho would only sign up for four or five years, he would not be there for the long term like Ferguson. That could be true, except that as he showed at Chelsea he could achieve quite a lot in four or five years, and it is not as if Moyes turned out to be a stayer either. The only thing likely to have put Mourinho off United in 2013 was the apparent financial restrictions being placed on the club by the American owners. It seemed at the time that Moyes was a conveniently cut-price option, though that theory was disproved a year later with the money put at Van Gaal’s disposal. With hindsight it was probably unrealistic to expect anyone to stay anywhere near as long as Ferguson – however commendable the intentions – because the game has changed so much since the mid-80s and United have grown so big. Van Gaal is only a glorified stop-gap solution, since quite apart from his sticky start in England he is 63 years old and at the wrong end of his career to build a lasting empire. Which brings us back to Keane’s original point. If Van Gaal gets the two or three years Keane says he deserves, will United like the end product?

It already seems clear that his basic philosophy involves patient, possession-based football, a bit like the formula Ferguson used for Europe except that Van Gaal deploys it against Burnley and Sunderland. Without quite such a tradition for attacking football to live up to Chelsea also like to be solid at the back, keep hold of the ball in midfield, and be quick and decisive on the break. It is just that Mourinho’s version of the same thing manages to be a lot more dynamic than Van Gaal’s. Maybe he has better players to execute the style, but maybe that is because he is shrewder and sharper in the transfer market. By all means give Van Gaal the time he requires – United probably don’t need to be chopping and changing again – but don’t imagine either that two or three years down the line they will be stacking up titles or bringing the crowd to their feet with attacking verve. Because Van Gaal has not even sorted out the defence yet, almost a full season and two transfer windows into his United career. Without that there is no platform on which to build the rest. If this is a reconstruction job, it is already running behind schedule and there is no guarantee that the finished project will be universally admired.

Video: Chelsea 1 Atletico Madrid 3 agg 1-3: Jose Mourinho rues 'impossible save' - Telegraph Jose Mourinho Chelsea 1 Atletico Madrid 3 agg 1-3: Jose Mourinho rues 'impossible save' Jose Mourinho says Chelsea's Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid came after two events in the 61st minute 7:18AM BST 01 May 2014 Atletico Madrid overpowered Chelsea 3-1 on Wednesday to ensure its remarkable season will end with a derby in the Champions League final against Real Madrid. Although former Atletico striker Fernando Torres put Chelsea in front at Stamford Bridge after a scoreless first leg of their semifinal, Adrian Lopez leveled before halftime to give the surprise Spanish league leaders a crucial away goal. Atletico's place in a first European Cup final in 40 years was secured in the second half when Diego Costa netted a penalty on the hour, and Arda Turan knocked the ball into an empty net. "We completely controlled the game against a great side," Atletico manager Diego Simeone said through a translator.

It was a fourth successive semifinal loss for Jose Mourinho since winning the competition in 2010 with Inter Milan, after previous setbacks at Real Madrid before returning to manage Chelsea last year. Related Content

Question: Which European football club did Jose Mourinho manage before returning to manage Chelsea in 2013?
Answer: Real Madrid